Avoiding weak spots in the snowpack is critical now. Avoid shallow areas, thinly buried boulders & even thin trees are all features that could cause the deep layers to fail.
Weather Forecast
Nothing new for snow in the next few days. The morning will be -13 to start, but eventually warm up to -8. Similar to today, the cloud cover will light with some blue skies. Winds will also be light from the SW.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed today.
Snowpack Summary
No new snow and isolated wind has kept the snowpack basically unchanged from the past few days. We're seeing a light surface dusting in many areas with older windslabs underneath. The windslab's bond to the underlying layers is improving with time and moderate temperatures. Of growing concern is the Jan 17 surface hoar layer, now down 15-20cm at treeline. As the load/burial depth increases this layer will become more of a worry. If you've been reading the bulletins lately, you can probably guess the next line. That's right, the deeper facets and depth hoar layers are still there! In some areas this is presenting as 2 distinct layers and in others its just one thick layer of junk. Thin areas, or areas with a hard surface wind slab are especially concerning.
Problems
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.